Racist Jury?

One of the reasons Tom Robinson was found guilty was because of the racially prejudiced jury. All white, of course they didn't want to prove him innocent. This type of prejudice in the court system is not just something that Harper Lee made up. It still happens today.

Turns out, lawyers will choose their jury by the color of their skin. On Nov. 2, there was a re-trial for an old case from 1987. A black teen was charged for murdering an elderly white woman. The jury for the re-trial was chosen simply by the color of the potential jurors' skin tone. Apparently, this was definitely not the first or last time. It happens all the time!

Found in prosecutor's notes was a list of the jurors, with a note next to their name. Either "W" (meaning white), "B" (meaning black), or "B#1" (meaning black and definitely not a good candidate). I don't understand how this is fair, or even legal. Turns out that way back in 1986 the Supreme Court ruled that jurors could not be taken of the stand on the basis of their race or gender. THEN WHY ARE WE BREAKING THE RULES?

If a prosecutor is asked why they are removing a certain person from the jury, they have 2 options: give a non-racial reason, or use a peremptory challenge (meaning they don't have to explain themselves). This needs to not be allowed, because while it still is in place, trials such as the Tom Robinson case or the Nov. 2 case will never be justly charged.